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When we last left our heroes, they had conquered all opponents in the 74th Annual Hunger Games, returned home to their newly refurbished living quarters in District 12, and fallen haplessly to the cannibalism of PTSD. And now we're back! Hitching our wagons once again to laconic Katniss Everdeen and her sweet-natured, just-for-the-camera boyfriend Peeta Mellark as they gear up for a second go at the Capitol's killing fields.
But hold your horses — there's a good hour and a half before we step back into the arena. However, the time spent with Katniss and Peeta before the announcement that they'll be competing again for the ceremonial Quarter Quell does not drag. In fact, it's got some of the film franchise's most interesting commentary about celebrity, reality television, and the media so far, well outweighing the merit of The Hunger Games' satire on the subject matter by having Katniss struggle with her responsibilities as Panem's idol. Does she abide by the command of status quo, delighting in the public's applause for her and keeping them complacently saturated with her smiles and curtsies? Or does Katniss hold three fingers high in opposition to the machine into which she has been thrown? It's a quarrel that the real Jennifer Lawrence would handle with a castigation of the media and a joke about sandwiches, or something... but her stakes are, admittedly, much lower. Harvey Weinstein isn't threatening to kill her secret boyfriend.
Through this chapter, Katniss also grapples with a more personal warfare: her devotion to Gale (despite her inability to commit to the idea of love) and her family, her complicated, moralistic affection for Peeta, her remorse over losing Rue, and her agonizing desire to flee the eye of the public and the Capitol. Oftentimes, Katniss' depression and guilty conscience transcends the bounds of sappy. Her soap opera scenes with a soot-covered Gale really push the limits, saved if only by the undeniable grace and charisma of star Lawrence at every step along the way of this film. So it's sappy, but never too sappy.
In fact, Catching Fire is a masterpiece of pushing limits as far as they'll extend before the point of diminishing returns. Director Francis Lawrence maintains an ambiance that lends to emotional investment but never imposes too much realism as to drip into territories of grit. All of Catching Fire lives in a dreamlike state, a stark contrast to Hunger Games' guttural, grimacing quality that robbed it of the life force Suzanne Collins pumped into her first novel.
Once we get to the thunderdome, our engines are effectively revved for the "fun part." Katniss, Peeta, and their array of allies and enemies traverse a nightmare course that seems perfectly suited for a videogame spin-off. At this point, we've spent just enough time with the secondary characters to grow a bit fond of them — deliberately obnoxious Finnick, jarringly provocative Johanna, offbeat geeks Beedee and Wiress — but not quite enough to dissolve the mystery surrounding any of them or their true intentions (which become more and more enigmatic as the film progresses). We only need adhere to Katniss and Peeta once tossed in the pit of doom that is the 75th Hunger Games arena, but finding real characters in the other tributes makes for a far more fun round of extreme manhunt.
But Catching Fire doesn't vie for anything particularly grand. It entertains and engages, having fun with and anchoring weight to its characters and circumstances, but stays within the expected confines of what a Hunger Games movie can be. It's a good one, but without shooting for succinctly interesting or surprising work with Katniss and her relationships or taking a stab at anything but the obvious in terms of sending up the militant tyrannical autocracy, it never even closes in on the possibility of being a great one.
3.5/5
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Beloved characters played by Fred Savage, Michael J. Fox and Claire Danes have topped a new list of the greatest TV kids. Savage's Kevin Arnold from The Wonder Years has beaten out Fox's Alex Keaton character from hit show Family Ties for the number one spot, while Homeland star Danes' Angela Chase from My So-Called Life comes in third in the new TV Guide countdown.
The Simpson's Bart Simpson tops the animated kids at four and Sarah Michelle Gellar's Buffy Summers rounds out the top five, while Diff'rent Strokes' Arnold Jackson (Gary Coleman), Roseanne's Darlene Conner (Sara Gilbert) and South Park's Eric Cartman make the top 10.

You know like, how whenever you stab or strangle someone to death it's totally erotic and you get this insane sexual connection with the person standing beside you? No? Well, The Following's latest and greatest Follower, Roderick (Warren Kole), knows this all too well. And this weird, innate heterosexual serial killer bro bond with head honcho Joe Carroll (James Purefoy), and the power struggles that come with it, are about to make things very complicated over at Follower HQ.
"When it comes to killing — we'd explore it more if it wasn't a network show — it is a very sexual payoff for serial killers," Kole says. "[For] men who like to kill women, when they do it together, there has to be some sort of implied sexuality there, that they're both experiencing together — a twisted threesome. There's a deep intimate connection between [Joe and Roderick]. James and I play with it. Two men who kill together — there's got to be a shared sexual experience there, somewhere."
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However, all of the shared experience in the world won't make it easy for Roderick to completely give in to Joe's power. "Once [Roderick] realizes that he doesn't have the power he's had now that Joe is back, he's going to have to take a backseat," he says. "The real star has showed up. He doesn't feel the same celebrity that he used to feel. So he goes back to Mama, so to speak, and tries to feel something passionately. That's through violence, and strangling the life out of someone. Trying desperately to get some sort of feeling out of the world."
According to Kole, in order for Roderick to remain in line, Joe's going to have to work to make him feel important. "Either Joe can build up Roderick and make him feel like an equal, or Joe can slowly make sure that Roderick knows he's the man in charge now," he says. "He's calling the shots and Roderick needs to fall in line. There's going to be a problem here — but how is it going to resolve itself? There is some obedience training that might happen in the future. These guys butt heads a bit."
Which completely makes sense, when you remember that they're living in a world where ego and chaos reign supreme. "This is a household for schizophrenics and psychotics and narcissists and sociopaths," Kole says. "The rules are very tentative. They want to play house and get along and everybody has their objectives, but they're all ultimately selfish in what they want. That includes Roderick."
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This selfishness may eventually lead to struggles with Joe's other number one Follower, Emma. "If [Roderick] realizes that Joe has special relationships, he might leverage those relationships so that he can have a little more insurance in the household — like Emma," Kole says. "That's how the game is played. None of these people are fair, deep down. There's going to be some devious behavior."
How devious, you ask? Extremely, according to Kole: "We would rival Jersey Shore for bad behavior," he says with a laugh.
Murderer Jacuzzi orgy, anyone?
Watch The Following Mondays at 9PM on FOX.
Follow Shaunna on Twitter @HWShaunna
[PHOTO CREDIT: Giovanni Rufino/FOX]
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Whether or not you enjoyed his skits, you have to hand it to Justin Timberlake — the crooner's fifth time hosting gave Saturday Night Live a 23 percent ratings surge over last week's outing with Kevin Hart, Deadline reports. Last night’s show averaged a 5.9/15 in metered-market households, making it the SNL's best outing since January 7, 2012. Bring it on in to omeletteville, indeed.
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CREDIT: Dana Edelson/NBC
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Ever since Lori's (un)timely death, the man, the myth, the hot mess that is Rick Grimes has been on an annoying downward spiral with an end that seemed to be nowhere in sight. And who would have known that, 31 episodes into the series, it wouldn't be Carl, or Hershel, or any of the other misfits he's met along his journey that would snap him right back to reality. Instead, it was Morgan Jones, the kindly man who fostered Rick during the show's pilot, that would unintentionally drill in a very important message: Rick Grimes, s**t could always be worse.
I'm guessing that tonight's episode will be a polarizing one. Not only did we not see any forward movement on the Grimes versus Woodbury plot line, but there were no epic Walker battles — and, oh yeah, the only characters shown in the episode were Rick, Carl, Michonne, and Morgan. Any episode that excludes Daryl Dixon in favor of generally unpopular characters like Carl and Michonne is a risk, but I think that this particular risk was very well worth taking. It was the first episode that actually humanized Michonne as a real live being with feelings, and not just a scowl-face ("I think she might be one of us," says Carl). Also, it furthered Carl along on his journey from annoying pre-teen to courageous adult with a strong sense of morals in an increasingly morally deprived world. Plus, that cat! And rats on skateboards! (ASIDE: Why have we not seen any cats on The Walking Dead? If anyone can easily escape a herd of Walkers and remain well-fed during a Zombie Apocalypse, it's a cat. New showrunner Scott Gimple, please hire some cats.)
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But mostly, this was the episode that effectively halted Rick's downward spiral, by sending him back to his home town for ammo (ASIDE: Was anyone else laughing at how little they've traveled over the last few seasons?), and putting him face to face with someone who has fared far worse in this post-apocalyptic society. Rick may have lost Lori and some other randos along the way (sorry, T-Dog), but he still has his son, and some pretty good people to share some semblance of a life with. Something to fight for, if you will. When Rick stared Morgan straight in the face, he saw what he himself would become if he continued on his current trajectory. He saw the face of what all-encompassing loss can do to a person. It sucks.
And it wasn't even just Morgan — the whole episode was a giant jolt for the audience, too, as we've become accustomed to a season filled to the brim with cray cray humans, both in Woodbury and the prison. (Fight the dead, fear the living — remember?) This season has felt very alive in a show about the literal and metaphoric walking dead, and tonight offered a huge break from that. The trip to Rick and Carl's hometown gave us and them their first real look back, and boy was it depressing. The opening shot of the episode offered a glimpse at one permanently forgotten family's tragic story ("Erin, we tried for Stone Mountain — J"), and the other car on the highway, filled with rotten corpses, was an obvious metaphor for RICK GRIMES, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN YOU. (Rick did show occasional looks of remorse when he saw the misfortune of others, but come on — you know he wouldn't let that family into the Grimes Gang if they had survived. If only they too had been driving a Hyundai.)
Case in point: the faceless dude who ran after the Grimes' Hyundai, completely alone and desperate, on the highway. Dude, you're about to become a statistic. I'm not sure if it was Rick's unwillingness to take people in — highlighted again by the conversation Michonne overheard where Rick told Carl that she was only with them now, temporarily, because they had common goals — or just seeing the lonely desolation that would be her life without them, but a lightbulb finally went off in Michonne's thick head. That talking lightbulb said, "Maybe be nice to these people and smile now and then, Michonne, before they throw you out on the road with Merle. This world is f***ing brutal and you're lucky to have friends, even if one of those friends is Carl." Talking lightbulb is deep, you guys.
But we'll get back to Michonne and Carl's B-plot bonding later, because the Rick and Morgan stuff was really good. After the Grimes trio unsuccessfully raided Rick's old company headquarters (the sheriff's station) for guns and ammo, Rick suggested that they head to main street because, as Plainsville's NRA spokesperson and gun permit-signer, he knew where all of the town's secret stashes were. ("Do you have a problem with that approach?" Rick asked Michonne, being a total prick. "No Rick, I don't have a problem," she sincerely replied with a look of sadness, as she handed him a lone bullet. Michonne can be endearing when she actually tries.)
So off to main street they went, except main street wasn't main street anymore, it was a mess of Mount Vesuvius-style charred corpses, ominous graffitied warnings, and Walker traps that vaguely resembled the barricades from the stage version of Les Miserables. The town was clearly being run by a very resourceful lone loon. And that lone loon, we soon learned when he appeared from a rooftop demanding their guns and their rapid departure, was MORGAN! A shoot-out immediately followed, and Carl shot him — because Carl shoots everybody nowadays. Just ask Saturday Night Live. Then Rick took off Morgan's mask, and had a "holy s**t" moment when he saw his old pal. He'd been wearing a bulletproof vest so he was fine, just passed out. And without his little son Duane, so it was obvious that this man's story was going to descend into tragedy-ville as soon as he woke up.
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Oh, did it ever! Morgan was living in a booby-trapped apartment, with walls covered in scribbles (the first lesson you learn in Looney Loon 101) and Rick's walkie-talkie of missed opportunity. Do you know what that walkie-talkie smelled like to Rick Grimes? It smelled like guilt. Rick hadn't turned on that outdated piece of technology every day at dawn to rescue his ill-fated friend. He'd gone on living — becoming embroiled in Lori/Shane scandals, having children, making friends with Daryl. A pretty okay life, considering. Michonne — the voice of reason in Daryl's absence — wanted to get the you-know-what out of there ("I think he's dangerous," she said. Duh!), but Rick Grimes loves confronting his demons and feeling guilty about things so he stuck around, while Carl and Michonne went on a photography-inspired adventure that we'll get to momentarily. Before they left, we had our @LOLMichonne moment of the week when Rick scolded her for eating the still passed out Morgan's food. "Mat says 'welcome,'" she replied with a hefty dose of monotone and a shrug. Girl, you silly.
Morgan woke up a few minutes later (right after we saw that he'd scribbled EVERYONE TURNS on the wall), and tried to stab Rick. Dude appeared to be three sheets to the wind with madness. "I don't know you!" he screamed, after mumbling something about Rick wearing a dead man's face. "You don't clear! You turn! You just die! Psycho babble psycho babble!" he ranted, whilst still trying to stab Rick in the face. He nicked him in the shoulder, then began to cry and begged Rick to kill him once Sheriff Grimes got the upper hand.
Of course, he regained clarity and recognized Rick as soon as Rick brought out the symbolic walkie talkie. "You said you'd turn yours on at dawn, that's what you said," Morgan cried. He'd turned it on every day, for weeks. With his boy. But no, nothing — nothin' but nothin' from Rick Grimes. "You said you'd turn on your radio every day at dawn, and YOU WERE NOT [period] THERE [period]," he screamed. Great, just what Rick needs — more ruined lives to feel accountable for. Rick tried to explain his actions to Morgan, but duh, mostly to himself. He had lives he was in charge of, he explained. They had to keep moving. (ASIDE: I've been saying for weeks that Rick needs to get over feeling accountable for every person that's been somehow f***ed over since the beginning of this series if he's going to survive, and it seems like this is finally happening. Thanks for being the sacrificial lamb, Morgan.)
Morgan is sad and crazy so we'll give him a pass, but he was being kind of a d**k to Rick. You know, sarcastically telling Rick his life was great because he didn't have to see his wife turn like Morgan did. I hated him for about ten seconds, but then he told a horrible story that makes Carl shooting Lori sound downright uplifting. Remember in the pilot, when Rick gave Morgan the gun to shoot his Walker wife? But he couldn't do it? Morgan remembers that, too. "I let her go like there wasn't going to be a reckoning," he said. (ASIDE: I mean, it was totally obvious that this story was coming from the moment we found out that Duane was dead, but Lennie James' deliverance was just soul-crushing.)
Morgan and Duane were looking for food, you see. (It always comes down to food.) He looked away for just long enough for his wife to reappear, right over Duane. Duane held up his gun, ready to shoot. But, alas, Duane was no Carl Grimes, and Morgan was unable to stop it. "He turned, and she was just on him," he explained. "And I just see red. I see red." Oh boy, this is heartbreaking. Call your loved ones and get back to me…
… K. My mom says hi. So Morgan didn't kill his wife, then his wife killed his son, and Rick Grimes was the man that gave him the gun that could have prevented all that. That's why he's bananagrams, and it totally makes sense. Rick Grimes was starting to look and feel very normal in comparison, as Morgan told him that Carl and everyone he knew would surely die. I mean it's true, but telling white lies never hurt anyone, Morgan.
Regardless of Morgan being a total buzz-kill, Rick invited him back to the prison, selling it as some kind of Utopia. (ASIDE: Really, Rick? You kick out the lovely, totally mentally adept Tyreese and his gang and deliver them to the welcoming hands of the Governor, but beg this loon to join you? Think about your life, Rick. Think about your choices.) But Morgan decided to rot in the prison of his own making, instead. It was an awful lot of guns Rick was taking, and Morgan wanted no part of any sort of human struggle. He'd already chosen a slow and brutal death, and was clearly in the right place. "Why do you need the guns, Rick? Cause if you've got something good, that just means there's someone who wants to take it. That is what is happening, right?" I mean — yeah.
"You will be torn apart by teeth or bullets," Morgan went on. "You and your boy. Your people. But not me — because I am not going to watch that happen again." Chilling. And this was the moment, ladies and gents, where Rick Grimes CHOSE LIFE! "This can't be it," Rick said. "You have to be able to come back from this." He was metaphorically talking to himself, right? Or the version of himself that would be if he kept talking to visions of Lori? This is so the "Ghost of Christmas Future" section of A Christmas Carol. Rick stared his future in the face, and didn't like what he saw. He tried to reason with that future, then realized there was no reasoning once you jumped fully into the rabbit hole. So he took his guns, and he left. Bye Morgan, thanks for being symbolically brilliant and what not. Enjoy all the misery and the rats on skateboards. Maybe get a dog, too, because that worked wonders for I Am Legend.
Now it's time to delve into the unlikely friendship between Carl Grimes and Michonne… (does she have a last name?) Carl left Morgan's apartment under the guise of getting a crib for Asskicker at the Plainsville Baby Emporium, but Michonne knows bulls**t when she sees it (see: Woodbury). Carl is a terrible liar, and it was obvious that he was off to take some sort of ill-fated trip down memory lane. Also, Chandler Riggs is a good actor, and wears his emotions all over his f***ing adorable Bieber-y face. So Michonne either A, likes Carl as a human being, B, wanted to get in good with the Grimes Gang, C, knew that hanging out with Rick would be terrible, or D, doesn't care for the death of children. Whatever it was, she followed him. You know, to help "carry the crib."
As soon as they left, Carl gave Michonne the dip while she sliced open a Walker. She was scowley until she caught up with him and he walked straight past the Baby Emporium, saying he was going to get little Asskicker something else first. Clearly this was something of importance to poor little Carl, who should be learning Algebra but is instead learning how to survive in a world without hope (not sure which is worse), and Michonne's heart grew three sizes that day. Michonne decided to help out on this sure to be stupid mission, and selflessly accompanying a member of the Grimes Gang on a stupid mission is the only way to gain membership to this terribly exclusive group, so the decision was a good one.
Carl was very unwelcoming at first, spewing out his dad's hurtful argument that she was only there because they had common interests, then she would GTFO with Merle and the other unpopular kids. The thick-headed cowboy was headed into a Walker-filled restaurant though, so she ignored him. Way to turn down help from the warrior woman with a Katana, Carl. A total Carl Grimes move, if you will. Then, obviously, Michonne saved Carl's life and killed the s*** out of several Walkers, but they were not able to retrieve this mysterious restaurant item that Carl so badly desired. (Was it whiskey?) "It's the only one left!" Carl cried. "We have to go back, Kate!" Michonne knew he wasn't going to let this one go. "No more bulls**t," she said. "You wait here, and that's how we get it done."
Thankfully, Carl actually listened — and seconds later Michonne came back with a photo of Rick, Lori, and little innocent Carl. "I just thought Judith should know what her mom looked like," he said with an adorable smile. "Thank you." But Michonne was going to go back anyway, to retrieve a colorful statue of a cat. "I just couldn't leave this behind," she said. "It's just too damn gorgeous," she said. Then something wonderful happened — she smiled! Michonne smiled! Michonne likes art! We're learning so much about her, finally, and I like her. I maybe even cried a little. Sue me, this was an emotional episode.
In the end, Carl and Michonne (who found a crib!) met up with Rick and Morgan in the street. "He's okay," Michonne observed. "No, he's not," Rick replied. Carl apologized to Morgan for shooting him, and Morgan told him to never be sorry. This is not a world where you can feel sorry, Carl Grimes. Your father just spent an entire episode learning that very same lesson, let's hope you pick up on it sooner.
They packed up the Hyundai with their guns and baby stuff, (how totally red state, emiright?) and Carl announced to Rick that Michonne "might be one of us," while she was pretty much standing right there. I love how they do that. These two are absolutely terrible at talking about people behind their backs. Then Michonne buddied up with the elder Grimes, stating matter-of-factly that she knew that he had been seeing things. "I used to talk to my dead boyfriend," she said. "It happens." Michonne had a boyfriend! Michonne is so likable! I love this episode, and Rick's response: "Do you want to drive?" he asked. "Yeah," she replied. (It's a Hyundai! Who wouldn't want to drive a Hyundai?) "Good, cause I see things." Rick Grimes, you are so damn sexy when your head is on straight.
Michonne drove off, while Rick gazed out the window — saying goodbye to his old life, and his guilt — once and for all. To hammer this point in, they drove past the guts of the poor hapless hitchhiker from the beginning of the episode, and stole all of his stuff. That's the spirit! All in all, I thought that this was a tremendous episode, with some of the best writing and characterization we've seen all season. But enough about me — what did you think? Did you like seeing Morgan again? Do you feel that Rick is fully healed? What do you think Merle was doing while all of this was going down? Mentally torturing someone, I'd reckon. Let us know in the comments!
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[Photo Credit: AMC (2)]
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Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy's dark, twisted, body-count-heavy history is the central relationship explored on Kevin Williamson's Fox thriller The Following — but ever since the show's premiere, fans have been increasingly won over by the sick, enthralling relationship between Followers Emma (Valorie Curry), and former quote-unquote gay couple Jacob (Nico Tortorella) and Paul (Adan Canto). A lot of this is thanks to Paul, who lost whatever "it" a serial killer still has two episodes ago, then went off-course and kidnapped a local shopgirl — an offering that would ultimately show Emma that Jacob (gasp!) had never actually killed anyone. What a tool.
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Due to Jacob's fondness for not murdering people, that shopgirl was still alive at the end of last week's episode — but our gut tells us it's not for long. And Canto's teasing gives us little hope that things will get better. "All I can say is, do not be surprised by this guy's rage," he says. "You will see disturbing, and very interesting things coming from Paul."
A lot of these things will come to pass because of the threesome dynamic between the characters — something that was touched upon last week. But apparently, we haven't even begun to scratch the surface. "The [resentment towards Jacob] goes further than jealousy," Canto says. "Paul feels abandoned. It's definitely something that the audience will be understanding, in time, through flashbacks. They'll see Paul's origins, and Jacob's origins."
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Apparently, we'll also be seeing scenes between Canto and his vicious leader, Joe Carroll (Purefoy). We've seen Emma's disturbing backstory, and Paul's will be explored in weeks to come. "[The Following] is a sanctuary for Paul," Canto says. "It's a safe-house. He feels a deep sense of belonging with all of [the Followers]. And there is always love between Paul and Joe."
Not so much, however, with Paul and Jacob — Canto says that that relationship will continue on its downward spiral. "When you trust someone entirely, and you feel like you're the only person that knows you in the world, then all of the sudden that person gives you their back... you can't help but to feel betrayed," he says. "[Paul and Jacob] start lying, and then continue this lie… Jacob's pretending to be this guy, when Paul knows [the truth]. And on top of that, he's fully neglecting [Paul]. There might be some [romantic] feelings involved. There are always feelings involved. There are very passionate emotions with this cult."
Well, the passionate emotions have certainly become very obvious during weeks 1 through 4 of this deeply disturbing (yet addictive) show. Will things ever let up? You know — maybe they can give us an episode or two without any stab wounds? According to Canto, don't count on it.
"In every episode, something very messed up happens," he says. Eek.
Be prepared for even more "messed up" (and be sure the kids are in bed) when The Following airs tonight at 9PM on Fox.
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Photo Credit: David Giesbrecht/FOX
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That was an… interesting turn of events, now wasn't it? Not only did Billy St. Cyr totally die (I was wrong… dead wrong), but Rachel aligned with Raylan, getting down with her bad self in an atypically lady-centric episode for this series. Boyd and Raylan may be the stars of the show, but the women in their lives are greatly contributing to the Season 4 script — so much so that Billy has already been eliminated, leaving Boyd with both Ellen May and Cassie on his case (possibly together?), and Raylan has (temporarily) brushed aside the Drew Thompson mystery in favor of chasing Lindsey. (And, well, his $20,000.)
Let's start with Raylan and Rachel: boy, was it nice to see these two partnered up. For one, she was finally allowed to do something besides stand there. For two, her personal issues have her going slightly off the rails, which has allowed her to see and do things on Raylan's level, for once. She's still much more put together than he is — which is not hard, as so is Lindsey Lohan — but she makes a good foil for the typically solitary old grump, who could use a trusted companion. (Like Doctor Who!)
Their partnership began during that coworker happy hour they indulged in at the end of last week, which ended in the realization that Lindsey (and the cash) had split. As it turns out, Randall didn't take her, she left on her own accord. ("I'm thinkin' you should have seen this coming," says Rachel. She's right. Get a bank account, Raylan.) Also, the $20,000 was meant for fighters — not people fighters, fighters of the chicken variety. (It was only a matter of time before Justified featured cockfighting, right?) But, alas, Randall's lifelong dream of fighting cocks was never meant to be, as Lindsey became frustrated by his jealous Hulk-like proclivities. As she explained to Raylan earlier, Randall was imprisoned for beating up a guy who was a mark in their tried and true scheme — she flirts, he steals. Their target this week was an unexpecting elderly-ish camera-enthusiast at a convenience store, and the Lindz was not happy when Randall's jealous streak returned. You know who doesn't get jealous? Raylan. So, who did she call when Randall was beating the guy to smithereens? Raylan, who (with Rachel) was able to track down the call (and the couple).
At this point, Rachel had to say goodbye: she offered to call out sick but Raylan, of course, needed to do this part on his own. Interestingly, it was largely because the matter had become largely personal. When Rachel and Raylan surveyed the damage in the bar bedroom, he seemed really, genuinely sad that he was betrayed by someone who he thought had actually liked him. (Oh, Raylan. How can anyone truly love you, until you learn to love yourself?) And when Lindsey finally betrayed Randall by using the beanbag-round rifle Rachel gifted Raylan (say that ten times fast) to shoot R1 instead of R2, he was very happy to be able to say "I knew you liked me."
Well, maybe she did, but not enough to stick around: Raylan ended up shackled to Randall, who he brought in to go back to the slammer. "At the end of the day when it's all done, she's still kinda worth it though, isn't she?" Randall said, very sadly. Raylan seemed to agree — whatever magic tricks this woman knows, they're very effective.
Now, some family purists might bemoan the fact that Raylan has fallen for this bad girl instead of chasing after the pregnant Winona, but someone as put together (and, let's face it, judgmental) as Winona would never completely work with Raylan. As much as he tries to distance himself from his roots, he's a Harlan boy and always will be, one on side or the other. Lindsey understands that. Also, Winona left to hang out with a serial killer and Kevin Bacon, so there's that.
But Raylan's adventure pales in comparison to Boyd, Ava, Colt, and Ellen May's — we all knew that Ellen May was about to meet her maker when Colt got that call, but I sure wouldn't have thought that someone would have swiped her before Colt got the chance to turn out the lights. Who was it? Well, let's start at the beginning:
Ellen May wanted to come home and "work" after Billy's death (PS — anyone else wondering what the bottom-dwelling Johns at a whorehouse are like?), but Ava was afraid that she may have confessed her sins regarding Delroy's death before Billy's untimely passing. Boyd was actually willing to forgive and forget after he did some sleuthing, by having Cassie brought in to Shelby's office for an interrogation. Before she came in we saw a note that Drew Thompson was alive on the screen, but that's being saved for another day. Anyway, he got nothing out of Cassie. He set it up as a meeting to obtain incriminating info on Boyd, but all she claimed to know was what everyone else knew: that Boyd was a bad, bad man who dealt women and drugs. Boyd and Ava were on speaker phone, and Cassie's words seemed to quell Boyd's fears — but not Ava's. She wanted to send Ellen May, the wild card, out of town to work for Boyd's born-again cousin in a motel. "The next time you give a blow job, it's because you want to," Ava said. Wonderful. This would have all worked out perfectly, had Ellen May not brought up the fact that she wouldn't snitch about Delroy IN THE MIDDLE OF A CROWDED BAR. Which leads us back to the aforementioned doomed death march with Colt, who was tasked with dropping her off at the crowded bus stop in the sky.
So, who snatched her up while Colt was taking a leak? I'm torn between two parties: on the one hand we have Wynn Duffy and Johnny, the latter knowing full well what happened to Delroy, and what Ellen May could possibly do for them with her insider information. However, there is also Cassie, who I'm convinced is about 1,000 times smarter than she looks. Cassie could have been faking it for Shelby, knowing full well not to trust anyone in this town. Either way, once again, Boyd is royally f***ed.
Follow Shaunna on Twitter @HWShaunna
[PHOTO CREDIT: FX]
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From his smooth, quiet manner to his seductive English accent to his seemingly genuine interest in everything you have to say, there's no doubt about it — James Purefoy would be a devastatingly effective serial killer. When I visited the Brooklyn set of Kevin Williamson's ambitious new thriller The Following last week, Purefoy was the ultimate gentleman; and a great sport when he took time off between filming scenes of cultish terror to speak with me in his dressing room. And after hearing what he had to say about his character, Joe Carroll, as well as serial killers in general, I would have been slightly afraid slash completely cultishly mesmerized if it weren't for Purefoy's little white dog (Marcel — a name Purefoy is not particularly fond of) adding some levity to the conversation.
"One of the things that people find interesting about serial killers in general [is that] they're human beings," Purefoy says. "They're not monsters. It's not always black and white, good and evil. How unnerving it is; that you can sit down and talk to them, and they can be rational and charming and interesting and likable on the one hand, and then do appalling things on their downtime on another. There's really just a cigarette paper between us."
Hopefully, there's more than just a cigarette paper separating the rest of us from Joe Carroll. Purefoy's vicious killer slaughtered more than a dozen young women in 2003, before Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) slept with his wife and put him behind bars. But prison bars didn't stop Carroll — the sexy, brilliant professor every female co-ed inappropriately dreamed of — from building a broad, sophisticated online network of killers who do his bidding while he does push-ups in the prison yard. Interestingly, Carroll's killings were largely inspired by the works of Edgar Allen Poe — particularly "The Black Cat," a short story in which the narrator tries to cut out the eyes of a cat. But in Carroll's world, that black cat has become young women.
"He becomes very obsessed with the world of Edgar Allen Poe, and he genuinely starts believing that there's nothing more beautiful than a dying woman," Purefoy says. "That goes back to when he was young — something very specific that happened when he was young. [But] I can't tell you [what that is]."
According to Purefoy, Carroll's obsession with the world created by Poe is linked to a common trait that serial killers possess. "One of the things I found out about serial killers is that they like to have an alternate reality around themselves, that they completely believe in," he says. "And he believes in [his vision] 100 percent. Even Ted Bundy in his final interview, the day before he was executed — he blamed it all on pornography. 1970's pornography as well, mind you, so we're talking pretty lame stuff. If he had been around today — can you imagine? That was his kind of alternate reality. When it comes down to it, all serial killers are people who have a desperate lack of self esteem, and a desire for control and power. Where does that all come from, is the question to ask yourself."
Carroll's resourceful brilliance and internal clarity make his belief in this "alternate reality" even more frightening — and by the end of episode four (the first four are available for press) viewers will see just how far Carroll's many followers are willing to go to please him and his vision. And even though Carroll seems like the perfect serial killer boss, working for him has some serious drawbacks. "Discipline is important," Purefoy explains. "Sometimes [the followers] take it very well. They're trained, and they come to me willingly. But then they also need to be deprived of certain things. It's an S&amp;M thing. [But] the people that he's dealing with are, generally speaking, psychotic serial killers — they're not the most reliable of coworkers."
And these "coworkers" have to be in tip-top murderin' shape if they want to help Carroll achieve one of his ultimate goals: The psychological torture of Bacon's character, Hardy. "I think [Joe would] be very happy to put a crochet hook into Ryan's belly and tug on his entrails forever," Purefoy says. "I don't think he wants to kill him, he wants to cause him terrible pain for a very long time."
With that definitive statement, Purefoy and the remarkably well-behaved Marcel had to go. But the following night, at the show's Manhattan premiere, I was able to fit in the one vital question I'd forgotten to ask: Do Carroll's (American) followers only trust him due to his seductive English accent?
"Of course," Purefoy says. "It imbues us with really not deserved intelligence."
Follow Shaunna on Twitter @HWShaunna
[PHOTO CREDIT: Fox]
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Aw, another year? Really? More taxes, annoying celebrity Instagram photos, and Taylor Swift boyfriend scandals? That's not what we signed up for when we totally bought into that Mayan Apocalypse thing, universe. We just don't know if we can take another Swifty break-up. We'd take the Rapture any day.
Still, there are some legitimate reasons to be excited that we made it out okay, even without John Cusack's help. From the return of a beloved, quirky sitcom to one of the most badass blockbuster concepts ever, behold our top 10 reasons to be excited for 2013:
Big-Screen Blockbusters
Pacific Rim: Pacific Rim is a Guillermo del Toro-directed sci-fi thriller, where the likes of Jax from Sons of Anarchy (Charlie Hunnam), Stringer Bell from The Wire (Idris Elba), and Charlie from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Charlie Day) team up to create giant, man-controlled robots to fight the alien monsters who sprouted from a crack in the ocean. If you're not already peeing yourself, we can't help you.
Man of Steel: What our world needs most — even more than its own Superman — is a good movie about Superman. After the disastrous Superman Returns incident of 2006, we were hesitant when it was announced that Henry Cavill (The Tudors) would put on the suit for yet another remake. But when we learned that Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark... you get our drift) would produce, and when the stellar cast assembled, we felt better. Then the trailer came out, and now we're just ridiculously excited.
Star Trek Into Darkness: We really enjoyed the franchise's first go-round back in 2009, and having J.J. Abrams back at the helm — as well as American Horror Story baddie Zachary Quinto as Spock — gives us confidence for the sequel. Oh, and Benedict Cumberbatch plays the villain, so there's that.
NEXT: Small-screen wondersReally Good TV
The Following: We've already seen the pilot for the new Kevin Williamson drama, which stars James Purefoy as a behind-bars serial killer with a terrifying worldwide following (get it?) and Kevin Bacon as the FBI agent who has no choice but to stop him. It. Is. Terrifying. Also, it's unlike anything you've ever seen on network TV. Do give it a shot — unless you enjoy sleeping at night.
Arrested Development: New episodes of Arrested Development seven years after its cancellation? Come on! This must be an illusion, Michael. But it's true — production began last summer, and 12-15 episodes (featuring cameos by beloved guest stars like Liza Minnelli, Henry Winkler, Mae Whitman, and Judy Greer) will premiere on Netflix early this year. But one major question remains — whatever happened to Steve Holt?
Bates Motel: A weekly look into the relationship between Psycho's resident psycho (Norman Bates) and his mother, starring the kid from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Freddie Highmore) and movie star Vera Farmiga? Sounds pretty cool. Add some enticing trailers and the fact that it's produced by Lost guru Carlton Cuse, and we're sold.
The Americans: FX has proven itself to be a go-to network for quality drama (we're talking to you, Sons of Anarchy, Justified, and American Horror Story), and the idea of a show about Cold War KGB agents posing as everyday Americans is pretty awesome — especially when you throw in Keri Russell as the main agent, who is in an arranged marriage with another agent (Matthew Rhys). Oh yeah, and they have kids who have no idea that their parents could be activated at any second.
NEXT: From the page to the screen (finally)
Our Favorite Books, As Movies
The Great Gatsby: “He smiled understandingly — much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced — or seemed to face — the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.” Sigh. We love you, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and we're hoping that Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Baz Luhrmann and co. do you justice. If not, that'd be a bigger crime than hitting Myrtle with a car.
Ender's Game: Here's a reason to stick around until November: A big-screen adaptation of Orson Scott Card's devastating sci-fi novel Ender's Game! The story of a brilliant boy whose childhood is stolen when he's picked to save the world from aliens has been haunting parents and kids alike for generations, and we can't wait to see what director Gavin Hood can do with it.
World War Z: Sorry, Walking Dead — we love you, but Max Brooks' World War Z is arguably the greatest work of zombie fiction in the land. The things human beings will do for survival — and they ultimately do survive — when faced with fear, abandonment, and uncertainty are explored via multiple eyewitness accounts told to a U.N. employee in the novel. The film is taking a different approach — the U.N. employee (played by Brad Pitt) isn't trying to explore the catastrophe after the fact, he's the tried and true action hero trying to save the day. We like the first idea better, but are excited to see what Marc Forster has done with the source material.
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Robert Zemeckis is a blockbuster director at heart. Action has never been an issue for the man behind Back to the Future. When he puts aside the high concept adventures for emotional human stories — think Forrest Gump or Cast Away — he still goes big. His latest Flight continues the trend revolving the story of one man's fight with alcoholism around a terrifying plane crash. Zemeckis expertly crafts his roaring centerpiece and while he finds an agile performer in Denzel Washington the hour-and-a-half of Flight after the shocking moment can't sustain the power. The "big" works. The intimate drowns.
Washington stars as Whip Whitaker a reckless airline pilot who balances his days flying jumbo jets with picking up women snorting lines of cocaine and drinking himself to sleep. Although drunk for the flight that will change his life forever that's not the reason the plane goes down — in fact it may be the reason he thinks up his savvy landing solution in the first place. Writer John Gatins follows Whitaker into the aftermath madness: an investigation of what really happened during the flight Whitaker's battle to cap his addictions and budding relationships that if nurtured could save his life.
Zemeckis tops his own plane crash in Cast Away with the heart-pounding tailspin sequence (if you've ever been scared of flying before Flight will push into phobia territory). In the few scenes after the literal destruction Washington is able to convey an equal amount of power in the moments of mental destruction. Whitaker is obviously crushed by the events the bottle silently calling for him in every down moment. Flight strives for that level of introspection throughout eventually pairing Washington with equally distraught junkie Nicole (Kelly Reilly). Their relationship is barely fleshed out with the script time and time again resorting to obvious over-the-top depictions of substance abuse (a la Nic Cage's Leaving Las Vegas) and the bickering that follows. Washington's Whitaker hits is lowest point early sitting there until the climax of the film.
Sharing screentime with the intimate tale is the surprisingly comical attempt by the pilot's airline union buddy (Bruce Greenwood) and the company lawyer (Don Cheadle) to get Whitaker into shape. Prepping him for inquisitions looking into evidence from the wreckage and calling upon Whitaker's dealer Harling (John Goodman) to jump start their "hero" when the time is right the two men do everything they can to keep any blame being placed upon Whitaker by the National Transportation Safety Board investigators. The thread doesn't feel relevant to Whitaker's plight and in turn feels like unnecessary baggage that pads the runtime.
Everything in Fight shoots for the skies — and on purpose. The music is constantly swelling the photography glossy and unnatural and rarely do we breach Washington's wild exterior for a sense of what Whitaker's really grappling with. For Zemeckis Flight is still a spectacle film with Washington's ability to emote as the magical special effect. Instead of using it sparingly he once again goes big. Too big.
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